Walking Your Talk

After I'd been practicing The Craft for a while, I noticed that there were a few folks who stood out from the others, people that seemed to me to epitomize the essence of what it meant to be a Witch. The why of this puzzled me for a long time; they weren't necessarily the most successful, the most famous, or the most powerful. So what was it about these few individuals that made me look at them and think, "That's the kind of Witch I wish I could be"?

Eventually it came to me: these Witches, who all seemed somehow more centered, more in touch with spirit, more present in their own lives (which is not to be confused with being happy all the time, by any means)—they all walked their talk. Whether they were famous authors or the hypnotherapist who taught me tarot reading, they all walked their talk, all day, every day.

What I mean by this is that they had found ways to integrate their spiritual beliefs as Wiccans/Witches/Pagans with their everyday mundane lives. Once I'd figured it out, I began to try to do the same. Over the years, I'd like to think I have made a fair amount of progress along this path, although as with everything else, there is always room for improvement.

It has also become a theme—some might say an obsession—in my writing. In fact, one of my books, The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch, is dedicated (you should excuse the pun) entirely to the topic.

Does this mean I think you're not a "real Witch" if you only celebrate the Sabbats, or talk to the goddess on the night of the full moon? Of course not. One of the most wonderful aspects of a modern Witchcraft practice is that, as long as you are not doing anything to harm yourself or anyone else, there is no wrong way to do it. If you are happy in a practice that only manifests itself eight days a year, or twelve, or twenty, that's great.

More often, though, I find that people really want to integrate their Pagan path with their everyday lives; they just feel like they are too busy, too distracted, too broke, too tired. In short, for most of us, real life is just too overwhelming to allow for time and energy to focus on spirit.

The good news is that they're wrong. Not about being busy and tired, of course. Which of us isn't, in this hectic world we live in? But that's all the more reason to find ways, small at first, then maybe larger, to bring our spiritual beliefs into our daily lives, where they can help us cope, make better decisions, and just feel better about ourselves and the universe around us.

When I set out to find a daily ritual I could do every day, I tried various things, from lighting a candle each night to saying affirmations at my altar. None of the things I tried worked for me, until I realized that I was taking the word "ritual" too literally.

Now, I start the day by talking to the god and goddess before I even get out of bed in the morning. I say, "God and goddess, I greet you at the start of another day and ask for the strength and energy to do the things I need to do." I also ask for their help with whatever I have going on, as well as their protection for me and those that I love. At night, after I turn out the light, I say thank you for all the blessings of the day, naming them specifically to ensure that I am really focused on all that has been gifted to me.

Simple, right? And yet, that's twice a day every day that I make that connection to deity, walking my talk as a Witch and a Pagan.

I can't tell you how much of a difference it has made in my life, but I assure you, it has been huge. It didn't come all at once, of course. And I still have times when I forget or lose my way. But it is my hope that together, we can find ways to walk our talk, all day, every day, with the moon to light our footsteps and the goddess to guide our hearts.

I'll be blogging about everything from practical tips for bringing magic into your everyday chores to simple rituals you can do in five minutes a day or less—and anything else that comes to mind. Feel free to ask me questions, give me suggestions, or put in a request; we're all walking this path together, after all. We might as well lend each other a hand along the road.

Deborah Blake is the author of Everyday Witch Book of Rituals (Llewellyn 2012), Witchcraft on a Shoestring (Llewellyn, 2010) as well as The Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) and several other books. She lives in a 100-year-old farmhouse in upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.

Comments

Valerie Sumpter
Friday, 31 August 2012

Thank you for this - I'm sure everyone gets the feeling that they're a "lesser witch/pagan" when they abandon daily practice...but the trick is to always pick it up again. No harm, no foul, just do it. I follow more of a kitchen witch path, and I've given short presentations on how that path can fit into anyone's life on a daily basis because...we all have to eat at least once a day, right? Simple things like cooking with intent, blessing the salt, cleansing a kitchen...everything can be a little ritual with a dash of mindfulness.

thanks for lighting a fire under me i have been lax in thanking my goddess for all my blessings big and small though i follow the creed harm to none .i am learning to embrace my crone. i can't wait to see your blog on 5 min rituals i will really look forward to future blogs again thank u blessed be

I loved this post. As a neophyte walking along the Pagan path, I have been searching for ways to bring practice into my daily life. I am also looking forward to your "five minute" rituals, and am off to Amazon to find your book ! )O(

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Deborah Blake
Sunday, 02 September 2012

Erin--
I'm so glad you liked it! And thanks for looking at the book--which one? (There are five...soon to be six. lol)

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karen bowman
Sunday, 02 September 2012

deb can't wait hope u do the 5 min rituals in the next couple of blogs. on the subject of embraceing my crone does one of your books have anything on the crone because i would love to purchase it. and also are your books on kindle ? because i take that ceverywhere i just ordered the 3rd aspect of the crow "the awakening"could not put the first 2 down well will say goodnight blessed be

All five of my books are out on Kindle, and the new one coming in October will be too. In fact, we have a mini-ebook coming this month, too!

None of my books are specifically aimed at crones, but the new ritual book (Everyday Witch Book of Rituals, coming in Oct) has a croning ritual in it, and the Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook has some spells for dealing with aging :-)

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karen bowman
Monday, 03 September 2012

thanks so much so glad u are on kindle!can't wait for new book blessed be